Physician&#39;s examining table



y 5, 1954 E. w. ROEHM 2,679,445

PHYSICIAN 'S EXAMINING TABLE Filed Nov.. 23. 1951 f INVENTOR.

- FIG. 3. EpcAR W. Roan-m M WW 1 Arm/MW Patented May 25, 1954 PHYSICIANS EXAMINING TABLE Edgar W. Roehm, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to W. D. Allison Company, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application November 23, 1951, Serial No. 257,900

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in medical furniture and, more particularly, to a physicians examining table having concealed stirrups.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a physicians examining table which is equipped with completely concealed heel stirrups which may optionally be disposed within the inner recesses of the table entirely out of sight and may, when desired, be moved into outwardly disposed operative position in a simple, convenient, and efficient manner.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a, physicians examining table having completely concealed heel stirrups which, when in outwardly disposed or operative position, may readily be shifted or swung through a vertical are into a series of predetermined vertical positions of different elevation above the floor upon which the examining table rests.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a physicians examining table having a so-called foot end which houses completely concealed heel stirrups and is equipped with stirrup concealing doors forming a uniform and artistically integrated part of the end wall design surrounding a clearance aperture for permitting free access to a drawer or basin slide adaptable for use in gynecology.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a physicians examining table having completely concealed heel stirrups which can be swung outwardly from concealed position into operative position and may be adjusted into various different positions within predetermined limits in a, horizontal arc.

With the above and other objects in view, my

invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a physicians examining table constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention, particu larly illustrating the examining table in fully closed position with the heel stirrups completely concealed;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a physicians examining table with the end wall closure ele ments swung outwardly into open position and the heel stirrups disposed in outwardly presented operative position;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a physicians examining table with the end wall closure ele- 2 ments swung out into open position and showing the heel stirrup members folded down into concealed position within the base of the table;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the heel stirrup element in outwardly swung or operative position;

Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary sectional views taken along lines 5-5 and 5-6, respectively, of Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 1-1 of Figure 6.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a physicians examining table comprising a rectilinear base I preferably, though not necessarily, mounted upon legs 2, 3, and including a transversely extending front end wall 4, provided across its upper area with a pair of L-shaped swinging doors 5, 6, operatively mounted to the side walls I, 8, respectively, by means of pairs of hinges 9. The L-shaped doors 5, 6, are, in effect, cut away adjacent their interior upper corners so as to fit snugly around the vertical sides and transverse bottom margins of a pull-out drawer I0 operatively associated with a basin slide I I, as best seen in Figure 1.

When the doors 5, 6, are swung outwardly and around into open position, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a pair of inwardly extending recesses or compartments I2, I3, are revealed around the sides and bottom of the drawer III, and rigidly mounted upon the inner faces of the side walls I, 8, within the compartments I2, I3, respectively, are heavy horizontally disposed reinforcing beams I4, I5, vertically cut off and terminating in inwardly spaced relation to the outwardly presented margins of the compartment opening in the provision of end faces I6.

Rigidly mounted on each end face I6 is a vertically disposed swivel eye I I for swingably supporting an L-shaped fitting I8, integrally including a downwardly disposed pintle I9 seated within the swivel eye I1 and an annular bearing shoulder 20, which rides rotatably upon the upwardly presented face of the swivel eye 11. At its outer end each L-shaped fitting I8 is integrally provided with a widened flange 2 I, which is milled axially to provide a pair of spaced parallel plates 22, separated by a slot 23, for rockably supporting a circular bearing plate 24, integrally formed upon the end of an elongated stirrup-bar 25 and journaled upon a pin 26 extending, therethrough and operatively mounted at its opposite endin the plate 22. On its interior peripheral face the bearing plate 24 is provided with a uniformly spaced series of notches 21 for optional engagement with the detent end 28 of a rockable dog 29, rigidly fixed upon a short shaft 30, which is journaled in and extends transversely between the plates 22 and projects outwardly therefrom at one end, being provided on said outwardly projecting end with a finger-grip or actuating handle 3|. The dog 29 is also provided with a tail-portion 32, which bears against a leaf-spring 33, so that the dog 29 is biased operably into operative engagement with the detent notches 21.

Slidably mounted for lengthwise shifting movement upon each stirrup-bar 25 is a slide' block 34 provided with a thumb-screw 35 so that it may be fixed in any position of adjustment along the length of the stirrup-bar 25. Formed.

integrally upon the upper face of the slide block 34 is an upstanding ear 36 for swingably supporting a conventional foot stirrup 3-7, adapted to be swung from upright position to folded or, inoperative position, as shown in full lines and dotted, lines, respectively, in Figure 4. Similarly, the dog 29 may be released by suitable manipulation of the operating handle or finger-grip 3| and the stirrup-bar 25 dropped to downwardly extending position, whereupon, the entire stirrup assembly may be swung inwardly entirely within the confines of the compartments l2, as shown in Figure 3. Thereupon, the doors 5, 6, may be closed and. the examining table will assume the appearance shown in Figure 1 so that the stirrup members will be entirely concealed: and yet the drawer l and slide H will be freely accessible. Conventional detent means are provided preferably along the upper horizontal margins of the front end wall 4 for holding the doors 5, 6, releasably in closed position and permitting them to be opened separately or together so that either one or both of the stirrup-bars 25 can be utilized as may be desired by the physician.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the physicians examining table may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A physicians examining table comprising a base including spaced parallel side walls, transversely extending front and rear walls and a top wall, said top wall extending entirely across the base from the rear end wall forwardly over the front end wall for defining a substantially enclosed recess within the base, said front end wall having its lower margins substantially in the same plane as the lower margins of the other walls and having a horizontal top margin extending entirely across the end of the base between the two side walls in downwardly spaced parallel relation to the top wall thereby forming a relatively large rectangular front opening communicating with the recess, a rectangular drawer-like member shiftably mounted on the under side of the top wall for movement longitudinally into and out of the recess through the front opening, said drawer-like member having a transverse width substantially smaller than the transverse width of the front end wall and being located centrally with respect thereto so that when the drawer-like member is in closed position the front opening will have a somewhat U- shaped contour, a pair of L-shaped doors respectively mounted on the forwardly presented vertical margins of the side walls in the region of the front opening for swingable disposition closurewise across the front opening, the bottom portion of each of said doors being sized so that when the doors are closed said bottom portions will lie substantially in endwise abutment along a vertical meeting line approximately midway of the front opening, a horizontal brace member extending along the interior face of each of the side walls, said brace terminating in a vertical end face spaced inwardly from the inner face of the adjacent door when the latter is in closed position, a swivel eye rigidly mounted on the end face of the brace wholly Within the space between such end face and the door, an L-shaped fitting having a depending pintle removably mounted within the swivel eye for swingable movement therein about a vertical axis, a stirrup-bar swingably mounted on the L-shaped fitting for rocking movement about a horizontal axis with respect to the fitting and being adapted to swing downwardly from the fitting so as to lie wholly within the interior recess of the base and to be adapted to swing outwardly through the front opening when the door is open and.

thence be swung upwardly into forwardly extended position, and latching means carried by the fitting for optionally holding the stirrupbar in forwardly extended position.

2. A physicians examining table comprising a base including spaced parallel side walls, transversely extending front and rear walls and atop wall, said top wall extending entirely across the base from the rear end wall forwardly over the front end wall for defining a substantially enclosed recess within the base, said front end wall.

having its lower margins substantially in the same plane as the lower margins of the other walls and having a horizontal top margin extending entirely across the end of the base between the two side walls in downwardly spaced parallel relation to the top wall thereby forming a relatively large rectangular front opening communicating with the recess, a rectangular drawer-like member shiftably mounted on the under side of the top wall for movement longitudinally into and out of the recess through the front opening, said drawer-like member having a transverse width substantially smaller than the transverse width of the front end wall and being located centrally with respect thereto so that when the drawer-like member is in closed position the front opening will have a somewhat U-shaped contour, a pair of L-shaped doors respectively mounted on the forwardly presented vertical margins of the side walls in the region of the front opening for swingable disposition closurewise across the front opening, the bot-.

tom portion of each of said doors being sized so that when the doors are closedsaid bottom portions will lie substantially in endwise abutment along a vertical meeting line approximately midway of the front opening, a horizontal brace member extending along the interior face of each of the side walls, said brace terminating in a vertical end face spaced inwardly from the inner face of the adjacent door when the latter is in closed position, a swivel eye rigidly mounted on the end face of the brace wholly within the space between such end face and the door, an L-shaped fitting having a depending pintle removably mounted within the swivel eye for swingable movement therein about a vertical axis, a stirrup-bar swingably mounted on the L-shaped fitting for rocking movement about a horizontal axis with respect to the fitting and being adapted to swing downwardly from the fitting so as to lie wholly within the interior recess of the base and to be adapted to swing outwardly through the front opening when the door is open and thence be swung upwardly into forwardly extended position, latching means carried by the fitting for optionally holding the stirrup bar in forwardly extended position, and a foot-stirrup shiftably mounted upon each stirrup-bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lukens Sept. 1, 1885 Lentz July 2, 1895 Scannell Oct. 2, 1900 Allison Nov. 6, 1900 Stuart Nov. 22, 1904 Schultz Sept. 19, 1922 Jones July 15, 1941 Siegel Mar. 18, 1952 

